


Fireflies In The Night

by ThatScottishShipper



Category: Night In The Woods (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Don’t post to another site, Dysfunctional Family, Family Member Death, Fireflies, Fog, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Self-Reflection, Smoking, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 04:59:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20576858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatScottishShipper/pseuds/ThatScottishShipper
Summary: By the riverside, kept company by the fireflies, Bea reflects upon her life.





	Fireflies In The Night

_ To Bea, or Not To Bea? _

With a dry chuckle, Bea took one long drag of her cigarette, then released a puff of smoke into the night, the swirl becoming one with the fog.

By the bridge and beneath the stars, as she often did, Bea always dreamt about leaving everything behind. Her steady gaze took in the strangely still water visible beneath the oppressive layer of fog, a heavy thought perminating her poetic thoughts.

What if?

What if I left?

Should I?

Her greatest desire, to pack up her stagnant heart and escape into the dead night, consumed her every waking thought. She sat on the damp wooden bench, watching the cloud of fireflies trying to navigate the thick, impenetrable fog descending upon the riverbank.

She felt trapped.

Trapped by circumstance, trapped by expectations, trapped by her very bleeding heart, and a soul crushing dead end job leading to nowhere.

Her mother’s death, her father’s helplessness.

Her own prison without steel bars.

Like the fireflies, Bea felt disoriented, unsure of where she was heading in life. Their spiralling dances of delirium allowed her to come to terms with the illusion of nature, entranced by an intangible future.

They, too, were lost. Exactly like her.

Burning bugs of brilliant light beamed in the misty fog, swallowing everything beneath the bridge. To passerbys, only fluttering glimmers of green light and a stationary red glow were visible, perhaps her silhouette if they dared to get close.

But they never did, leaving a Bea alone in the Red Light of Life, while everything else rushed in a frenzied state of urgent Go Green.

It had taken Bea time to connect the dots, and find a strange solace with these tiny glowing creatures.

Sometimes, we were all fireflies in the night, lost in the murky fog, waiting for reality to become clear. When a luminous firefly became trapped in the dusky nightfall, obscured by gloomy clouds, that disillusioned insect never noticed others in close proximity.

Others with their own cross to bear, their hardships a blip on the radar, like the fireflies, only really noticeable when everything came to a complete standstill, leaving one and the world alone with their thoughts.

Regardless, they illuminated a small pocket of the universe for others fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of its life, even if the bleakness of the world masked their presence to themselves.

They were the beauty in the night, bringing a soft and gentle light to the darkness that came for every person, no matter their circumstance. And they were truly breathtaking.

And the thing about the darkness and the fog never last forever.

For Bea, remembering that was enough in dark times. She stood up, raised the last of her short cigarette to her friends, then headed back towards the city lights, towards the people and her own life.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the Close Proximity chapter with Bea. The small scene of Bea by the river, talking to her friend, left an impression with its message, and I think we’ve all been - or are - in Bea’s boots.
> 
> We’ve all felt trapped or stuck in a rut in our lives, and it’s sometimes difficult to see the light or find others going through the same thing or reaching out to you. But I firmly believe there’s always light at the end of the tunnel, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.
> 
> When you are a firefly, you never fly alone., even if it’s hard to see your own beautiful glow or others when times are hard. I’ve been there.
> 
> I understand the timing of this fic might not be ideal, but to put into perspective, I came to learn about this game only recently, and started writing this shortly before the news got out.
> 
> I don’t want to talk in length about a situation that is ongoing and isn’t my place to, because you don’t need to look far to find that, but I did want to reach out to those struggling with difficulties and dark thoughts in their lives. Those hurt by association by events unfolding and don’t know where to turn to.
> 
> The fans of Night In the Woods.
> 
> Hey there. I see you.
> 
> You might feel disillusioned and hurt right now. I understand the impact storytelling can have, especially when these stories find themselves to us at the right time.
> 
> A brilliant video by ThatCreepyReading about what this game meant to him really nailed this point home, and that this game SAVED him. That emotional importance can not be understated.
> 
> It’s powerful stuff, and my heart went out to him when the news broke because the internet is full of knee jerk reactions and people telling you how to feel, or that you’re wrong somehow. That you can just detach how something that brought you meaning before should be considered wrong and you’re wrong for still feeling that powerful message.
> 
> But you’re not wrong.
> 
> If you’re feeling lost right now, conflicted by something you love, let me assure you that you are allowed to feel those things. These situations are never easy, but you cannot close away the effect something had on you, especially a positive experience. This is also a shout out to anyone struggling or stuck in life.
> 
> You are allowed to grief, you are allowed to still find validation in something, and you are allowed to hurt because it’s proof you are alive. Your wonderful, perfect, unique-to-you life is yours, your feelings are your own, but others can sympathise and relate to what you feel or are going through.
> 
> Like the fireflies, you are never truly alone. You might feel lonely, but you are never alone.
> 
> Never feel afraid to reach out if you need help. You matter, and no matter what anyone tells you, your feelings are not wrong and you matter. Please, take that away from this little story, at least.
> 
> Thank you very much reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. 🖤
> 
> Update v2: To those of you wishing to distance yourselves from the art of someone, I understand. It can be very hard to separate the art when something has happened. Your feelings are valid too. It’s a very complex situation, but my stance is that the feelings are true, there is no right or wrong way to cope when something we enjoy is changed negatively. You can still love it, or distance yourself. It’s your choice, and no one should make you feel bad for what you decide.


End file.
